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The States of Heimat
Society in Heimat Aristocracy While the eight states do have their cultural differences, it would seem certain themes are a common sight; first and foremost being the rulers of society, living in grand cities made unique with artificed architecture that puts most similar Empyrean societies to shame. Theirs is a life of intrigue and playing the roles of armchair generals as they move their forces about like pieces on a chessboard, or plan for the most advantageous marriages for their children either to other noble families nearby, or to foreign homes to assure a short alliance against a mutual enemy. Bourgeoisie While it is true that the nobles “own” the land in which the people live, and so greedily collect their taxes, it is the Bourgeois that are true control as they run the factories, own the farmers’ tools, or controls the supplies for the local doctor. Members of this class are your merchants, and moguls, the movers and shakers of society it is they that are most likely to do business with Empyrean at large. Common Folk Whether you're a farmer, a smith, or a soldier you were born a common man, and will most likely die a common man. Those that refuse this fate either become the grizzled war advisors of the Aristocracy, or join the mercenary bands that stop in the sector from time to time. The Environment of Heimat Spacial Anomaly The eight states are situated on a large “gravitational plate” the plate keeps the eight celestial bodies within a wide radius their movements in a set pattern that repeats every 24 years, this even extends to the massive amount of debris which populates the distance between the moons. When entering the anomaly it is highly unlikely you will ever leave again much less survive the experience of traversing the plate. However for six months a year at least one planet will be on the cusp of the plate where gravity waves are at their weakest it's during this time most foreign powers will trade with the moons, though it is known that ships of great enough size and power are able to enter and leave at will most famous are the vessels produced by the ever neutral Halltèn who’s artifice, and craftsmanship are so great a mighty caliph would give them his last shekel for a Halltèn battleship. Other than the moon's, and various asteroids etc. the region is populated with the wreck of the Ark Ship Centralus Europa which some scholars jokingly claim was almost as large as the ego of their passengers. Floral Spread Similar to the spread of the Arks passengers the ships Floral stores scattered across the area populating anywhere it could changing local atmospheres and mutating to suit its new environment. However the blessing of their presence was matched with the curse of the changes to the temperature plunging the worlds into seasons of bitter cold, and short periods of pleasant warmth. Fauna Discordance Adapting to the new environments saw changes in both man and beast alike growing in size, and hair to survive the cold, and accommodate the difference in gravity, and oxygen density. The changes can be catalogued as a mixture of devolving and evolving animals tapping into once dormant genes and reverting to older more primal forms, while others through what some speculate to be the chemicals found in the atmosphere and fauna of their environment changed overcoming their environment with new features. But there are still many unanswered question as some species look almost mythical, only to be matched with unfathomable appetites, and levels of aggression thought impossible. Evolution of the Heimat Homo Sapien Just as the Flora and Fauna of Heimat has evolved so too have the humans that inhabit Heimat, these changes are simple and widely known to anyone who has met a member of the states; They are great in stature, commoners being broad and bulked with musculature fitting of their harsh labors, While the richer the Merchant the more mountainous they become, as for nobles they are seen as very lean and nimble. To match these larger frames the inhabitents seem to age slower and slower as generations pass some have reportedly naturally lived a full 18 Cycles two more than the average 16. The Ever Beating Drums of War +++Excerpt from tactical instructor Grigory during contract with 43rd Janissary Training Regiment for Caliph Raz-Ghul Mazzar+++ “Listen Zieci, come, gather round, and listen. Many years ago when I was only Rosły, not much older than yourselves, In home of Piazko Wersja came and like eager Riota me and others go happily to Właści and there we train, train in the further north where land so cold without thick cloth man dies in 3 minute tops. But that is not focus of tale, focus is of what Wojn and how such small amounts of time become entire lives. We were ordered to dig, and we dug, dug until vast trenches were ready 8ft. deep 4ft. wide, and we waited, we waited for several days and on our last day of waiting it was still cold, cold and loud, loud with the roar of the wind and the nearby forest’s song. But then it went silent the wind died, the forest cried no more, but this silence was broken in front of ground eyes see flash, then body feels warmth, finally bones feel the force, Artillery, At end of shelling by Nitlav they charged us and this is when Piazko wspólna Straż rise, we rise and in our own chorus do our rifles sing, they sing a song of violence and death. At end when our enemy lies dead, and we stand alive do all of the feelings come to you Fear, Relief, Anger, Joy, Sadness and Grief, then finally acceptance, and fortitude. It is then that we rise over our trenches, rise over and charge for our home, kill for it and drive our enemy back into the sky. This is what you will do, you will move forward, you will feel loss, but then you will know what it is to be soldier, and that is when you are złowiek, and only after do you understand what freedom is.” Infantry: Heimat infantry can be divided into two subsets the first are the conscripted to elite guard regiments all more or less armed and armored by the local aristocracy. The other kind are local militias that will rise up when under threat, these units are usually small tribes allied with the state, and allowed to continue their way of life in exchange for some specialized service, such as some Nitlav allied tribes produce skilled Bear riders, or Piazko tribes are known for their accurate skirmishers, when such tribes rise up into militia units they can be armed and armored with almost anything you can imagine most commonly with the terrifying war-scythes of the region. When Infantry are involved during a conflict battles are either entrenched slugfests, city taking, or in the case of Habsvar and the Uralpád massed line battles. However in almost all cases your standard infantry man uses a heavy, loud mule of a rifle commonly referred to as an axe rifle which hits hard at a good distance most shots that land center mass are enough to either put someone on their ass or kill them outright as anyone behind them gets an impromptu shower of organs and blood. Cavalry: Cavalry units in Heimat are usually made up of elite trained household guards, or allied tribes of the state, but whatever their origin may be what's important is their mounts Some states rely on large thick skinned Yaks, other massive Ursai, most on 6-8 limbed horses, while Morslav are the only one's to rely on the savage Sabretooth. When the state cavalry charges most infantry will either be slaughtered or be fortunate enough to be in the presence of a heavy weapon unit turning the tables. Nobility: When a Noble goes to war it is improper for them to do it on foot or on some lowly beast, instead it is upon mighty mechanical mounts of rugged steel, gripping massive weapons when a noble joins battle it is very rare they would see the enemy as a challenge more so just a chore, or game of hide and seek. When two nobles meet in conflict the clashing of their metal titans is inevitable and to those that look on it is a terrifying ordeal. But for all of the power the nobles hold it is entirely possible for mere infantry to bring them down, whether through large mines, pitfalls, or a lucky shot through the glass windows of the cockpit. Naval: Heimat navies are captained by the most experienced navy men in the entirety of the Empyrean, they have to be to navigate and do battle in the dense fields or wreckage and rocks. Battles are short and brutal affairs where mighty cannons fire broadside as torpedoes streak through the night sky impacts on the vessel having two results, outright destruction or a mere scraping of the ablative armor plates. Common Terms Cycle: A cycle is a 28 year period in which any of the 8 moons takes to fully navigate its eternal flight path around the gravity plate. Encounter Area: An encounter area is the space between any moons that come close to each other during the Cycle. Glow Orbs: The Glow Orbs are specialized flares used in space to be used as a communication system between fleets, or passing ships. The Names of the Venerable states Habsvar Morslav Gallemand Uralpád Piazko Nitlav Sitillya Halltèn Notable Heimat Tarric Goshmal